Iraq Is the Issue in Final Days to Election

Oct. 26, 2006 — -- ABC NEWS: Yesterday, we heard President Bush at his news conference talk about the Democrats acting as if they're celebrating in the end zone, but they haven't even scored yet. And today we had Elizabeth Dole and the Republican National party say that the Democrats are playing political football with the war in Iraq. Where's the middle ground here?

STEPHANOPOULOS: I don't think there's much of a middle ground 12 days away from the election. One of the things we found in our newest ABC News poll is that the voters in the middle -- independents -- have broken, at least two weeks out, fairly decisively for the Democrats and it's almost all about Iraq.

ABC NEWS: Of course we also have the Foley page scandal in Washington, and many thought that would hurt Republicans in midterm elections. But it seems more voters are concerned with the war in Iraq. Why the focus on the war now, which is not a new issue this time around?

STEPHANOPOULOS: It's not new, but it's getting worse. October is shaping up to be about the deadliest month for U.S. forces, this year certainly, and one of the deadliest for the last three years. Now the death toll is approaching 100. I think people look at Iraq and see the violence continue on their screens. They see we've been there for three years, 140,000 troops still in place and they have a lot of questions.

ABC NEWS: Last night you were talking with Charlie Gibson on World News about the New Jersey Supreme Court decision on same sex-same rights. How big of an impact is that going to have in the elections?

STEPHANOPOULOS: You know, I don't think it's going to have that much of an impact. I think it's kind of a complicated decision. Even though the court upheld the possibility of gay marriage, it did leave the final decision up to the legislature. They could also do civil unions.

There only about eight states where gay marriage is on the ballot this time around, and only three of those states, Tennessee, Virginia, New Jersey, are states where there is a significant Senate race going on. I think you could have some impact in those races especially, in Virginia, where there's a big difference between the two candidates, George Allen and Jim Webb. But I think it's going to be pretty dissipated across the rest of the country.

ABC NEWS: Fifty-four percent of registered voters favor the Democrats, compared with 41 percent who favor Republicans, according to the latest numbers of the ABCNews/Washington Post poll. How do you interpret those numbers right now?

STEPHANOPOULOS: That's a very big number. It's the biggest number we've seen in about 20 years for the Democrats. On the other hand, Republicans have done a good job of sort of defending their vulnerable districts. For example, there are far fewer districts in play than there were in 1994 when Republicans took control from the Democrats. But right now if the vote were held today, the Democrats probably would take control of the House. We'll have to see what happens in these final two weeks.

ABC NEWS: The president was out campaigning in the Midwest again today. What kind of impact do these visits have for the candidates he is trying to help?

STEPHANOPOULOS: A big financial impact, because wherever the president goes, he raises a lot of money. What's interesting with today's campaign in Iowa is that the Republican gubernatorial candidate, Jim Nussle, won't appear with the president. You're seeing more and more of that across the country.